Page 29 of Conflict
Three hours and a bottle of wine later—she gave up the tequila—Ari and I are lounging on my bed, watching hours of old episodes ofFriends. We’ve small-talked ourselves out, both of us apparently in our own heads, and exhausted ourselves after a friendly debate over which of the Avengers we’d want to play Marry, Fuck, Kill with.
And then we realized we can’t kill any of them, so it was a pointless argument.
Screw you, Thanos.
“I can’t stop thinking about him,” she whispers.
I turn to her, surprised by the words. I thought she was already asleep. Perhaps she is.
“Who?” I whisper back, not wanting to wake her if she’s dreaming.
“The man from the hotel.”
Now, I’m fully awake. “Ari, what happened that night?”
“Nothing.” She sighs. “And everything.”
“I don’t understand.”
“He was just…so damn broken, and yet so damn perfect. How is that even possible?” she asks, and this time, her voice trails off as she drifts off to sleep.
God, what a pair the two of us make.
“Covington! My office, now.”
I jerk, looking up as my pseudo-boss slash cheerleader slash mentor, and most of all, one of my new best friends, raises an eyebrow in my direction. Oh God. Did I forget his coffee? His mail? I rack my brain until I realize those aren’t even my duties. I lock my screen and stand quickly before smoothing out my skirt and following Bryan into his office. As he closes the door behind him, I swallow hard.
I’ve been working in my new position at Wellsley-Callahan for five months and have loved absolutely every single second of it. The company believes its workforce thrives by using a mentorship program, so Bryan, having worked in the accounting department for a few years now, was paired with me. I had no idea how lucky I was the day he strolled up to me and introduced myself. Studying him currently, I still have a fine appreciation for his charming boy-next-door looks, but I have an even finer appreciation for his patience, guidance, and brilliant mathematic mind. That being said, the five months since my time with Shane has done nothing to lessen my…attachment to him. You’d think I’d be over it, he’d be long forgotten by now. But no, barely a night passes without the memory of those two amazing days coming back to me.
Bryan clears his throat. When I glance up with what I can only guess is a blush, he gestures towards an open chair and I take a seat, curious about this Friday afternoon tête-à-tête. In the business world, nothing good happens on a Friday afternoon.
“You wanted to see me, boss?” I asked, trying for a shy, innocent look, knowing the moniker would rankle him.
Bryan’s brown eyes roll. “How many times… Forget it. The more I protest, the more I know you’ll use it, so I’ll save my breath.”
I grin. “Living with two women certainly has given you a unique set of smarts, Price. I couldn’t be prouder.”
“Onewoman now,” he replies with emphasis on the first word. “You know Cheyenne and Sawyer moved in together a while ago, don’t you?”
I smile at the mention one of his female best friends and now former roommate, who is currently shacking up with Sawyer Callahan. Yes,theCallahan, current CFO of the company we work for. Cheyenne is the current head of marketing. With Bryan taking me under his wing, I became quick friends with Cheyenne—and, in turn, Sawyer. At first, I was a bit daunting that I was playing beer bong with my boss’s boss’s boss’s boss, but I didn’t take long to realize that, outside of the office, Sawyer was a friend.
Plus, he once told me with a wink, “Human resources does all the firing anyway.”
I was instantly endeared.
The other roommate—the one I’m not so sure of—is Cori, and she’s not a part of our Wellsley-Callahan family. She’s what Bryan calls a free spirit, and she runs a ridiculously popular relationship blog. Though, knowing her own love life, I don’t see how the woman has any right giving anyone advice.
Except I’ve peeked a time or two and the woman actually knows what she’s talking about. Funny how that works.
Bryan coughs, taking me from my thoughts.
“Do you not remember the girls’ night Cori planned on Cheyenne’s last night at the apartment?” I say. “Of course I’m aware. I still can’t look at a cucumber in the market without blushing.”
One thing about having a friend with a friend who writes a relationship-slash-lifestyle blog is you’re often a guinea pig. I can’t complain too much because my skin’s never been clearer, my hair is shinier than ever (thanks, apple cider vinegar!), and since Shane, I’ve been stuck with masturbating. Unsurprisingly, Cori had some pretty killer advice in that arena, too.
But her thing with cucumbers?
No. Just…no.
